This invention relates to forwarding a message notification to a subscriber through a wireless communication network to indicate a waiting message, and for forwarding a message notification using a private base station.
When a recorded message is left for an individual, having an e-mail address, voice-mail box, facsimile or any other form of communication where a message is recorded or stored for later delivery, the intended recipient of the message must access the system where the message is recorded to receive the message. Recorded communication forms include voice-mail and message services like an on-line service such as Compuserve, America On-Line or Prodigy. With a recorded message system, the intended recipient has no way of knowing if a message is waiting without periodically accessing the system. This may require logging on to a computer and retrieving an e-mail from the subscriber mailbox or dialing in to a voice-mail system. When a recipient is not already on-line, this is an annoyance because it takes time and is frustrating to access a voice-mail system or log onto a computer from a remote location just to determine if there are any messages stored within for the subscriber.
This problem often results in customer dissatisfaction with the message service provider.
In accordance with this present invention, a subscriber with any number of message storage accounts can have a message notification delivered to their wireless communication device indicating that a message is stored and available for retrieval. A message notification is received within a wireless communication network from a message storage provider. The message notification indicates that a message is waiting for a subscriber, such as e-mail and voice-mail stored within a subscriber mailbox, or a facsimile stored in a memory. The subscriber typically registers the wireless device with the wireless communication network before a message notification can be forwarded to the wireless device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the wireless communication network is a cellular telephone network. A message notification is received within a messaging center, which forwards the message notification through a mobile switching center to a wireless device of the subscriber to indicate to the subscriber that a message is waiting for the subscriber. This message notification also can be stored within the wireless communication system to facilitate retrieval of the message if the subscriber cannot be reached on the first attempt. The home location register also can be queried to determine the location of the subscriber.
Additionally, for messages with associated alphanumeric characters, the wireless device includes an LCD or similar display for displaying the origin and address of the message.
A private base station can be part of a premises based local area network and can receive a message notification from a personal computer also connected into the local area network. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a premises based local area network includes in communication therewith a personal computer to which messages are delivered from the message provider.
For e-mail messaging systems, a network interface unit interfaces with the telephone network and receives e-mail messages from the network for delivery over the local area network to the personal computer. The private base station receives the e-mail notification from the personal computer over the local area network and transmits the e-mail notification to the mobile device either directly or through the wireless communications network such as a cellular telephone network. Typically, when a subscriber is registered with the private base station, the e-mail notification is received and the subscriber then knows it should log into the personal computer on the local area network and retrieve the e-mail message. Also, in some designs the e-mail notification can be received through a digital control channel.
For voice messaging systems, an interface unit interfaces with the telephone network and receives voice-mail messages from the network for delivery over the local area network to the telephone. A voice message notification is received within a messaging center, which forwards the voice message notification through a mobile switching center to a wireless device of the subscriber to indicate to the subscriber that a voice message is waiting for the subscriber. This voice message notification also can be stored within the wireless communication system to facilitate retrieval of the voice message if the subscriber cannot be reached on the first attempt. The home location register of the subscriber also can be queried to determine the location of the subscriber.